UpdateChina’s services sector PMI grows at fastest pace in three months in December

China’s services sector grew at its fastest pace in three months in December as new orders remained strong, a private survey showed, an encouraging sign of strength even as manufacturing activity slows and the property market softens.

The robustness in the services sector contrasted sharply with surveys last week which showed Chinese factories were struggling at the end of 2014, suggesting a further loss in economic momentum.

Those findings reinforced expectations that more stimulus measures are on the cards, either in the form of more liquidity injections by the central bank, interest rate cuts or reductions in the amount of reserves banks must hold to encourage them to lend.

"Given the traditional industrial sector is still under pressure, more policy loosening is necessary," said Zhou Hao, ANZ economist in Shanghai.

"Recent moves by the central bank showed they actually kept a relatively loosening policy stance to lift growth, even though they seem to not want to send a strong easing signal."

The HSBC/Markit Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) picked up to 53.4 last month from November’s 53.0, well above the 50-point level that separates growth from contraction in activity on a monthly basis.